Improved device for bending railroad-rails



No. 96,684.1. v v PATENTED NOV. 9, 1869.

G. D. EMERSON. A

. DEVICE PQR BENDING RAILROAD RAILS.

. W/'/-llF-nllll lilll .orjaws for holding ciictrd tant cnoncn D. EMERSQN, or (inmune-MICHIGAN.

Letters Patent lilo.` 96,684, dated ANovember 9, 1869.l

IMPROVED DEVICE POR'BENDING. RAILRQAnRAILS.'

The Schedule ref/erred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

-To all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that I, Guo-non EMERSON, 'of Calumet, in the county of Houghton, and State'of Michigan, have invented a certain new and improved Device for Bending Railroad-Rails; and I'do hereby declare that the following is a full and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, vmakingpart of this spcciiication.

Figure 1A is a plan view of my improved device.

Figure 2, a section 'ofthe same in the plane of line x x, tig. l.

Figure 3, a view of the eccentric bearings removed. Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of the gures.

The purpose for which my invention is designed -is for bendingor curving railroad-rails, for adapting themv to the required curve of ftl-kV` anditis also applicablei'or straightening'ilswhere they have been sprung into irregular form by 'undue strain and-wear.

My invention consists in the employment of the eccentric lever-device for producing the pressure, and the mljusting-device for gaugingand extending the punch' or press-bar vaifai-nst the rail at each alternate stroke of the lever, the said parts heilig mounted in 'the main triangular frame, having an intermediate or secondary stiffeuiug-ii-ne, and the hooked bearings the 'railsubstantially as hereinaf ter described.

In the accompanying drawings- A A'indicatethe mainframe, which is-preierably madeof the triangular form shown, and is provided with an internal or secondary iiame, b, .bolted or otherwise secured thereto. Hooked. bearings or jaws, a a, are formed in the frame, on opposite sides,'for the rails c c to rest against, while the pressure for bendingthe rail'is applied midwaybetween these bearings, by the means presently to be described.

I. employ an eccentric roller,'B, iig. 3, the same having bearings e e, that extend vthrough the main frame on opposite sides, and serve as handles. y

Upon the eccentric portions d d, of thesaid roller, rest the ends of connecting-links or arma-fj, while the opposite ends ofthe links are pivoted to the sliding bnr g, that rests loosely through the crossbar1of the secondaryt'rame l).

On the central portion i, of the. roller B, is rigidly secured a lever-shank, C. This shank is formed with loops or bearings, 7L 1,in which rests a removable lever-bar, k, of any desired length tol procure the necessary purchase.. i

The sliding bar g is connected with the sliding punch or pressbarl, through which the pressure is transmitted for bending the rail, by means of an intermediate right and left-hand adj usting-nut, m, which receives the screws n n of the bars g l.

I prefer to insert' a metallic block, o, between the end of the bar Z andthe rail, which renders the bendingr of thel rail more uniform, and prevents abrasion.

[t may be preferred to employ, instead of the adjustingnut rm, one or more'wedges, to be inserted between the ends oi' the press-bar t and block o, at each alternate stroke of t-he leven'atfthe time the pressbaris drawn back to repeat the operation, in which case the bars g l would be made in a single piece.

When th rail is placed in position, the block o is inserted, and the press-bar l is moved upagainst it, by means of\the adjusting-nut m. By then'forcing the lever d own in the directidfvs'hown by the arrow,l fig. 2, the motion4 imparted by the eccentric roller to 'the press-bar gives 'the rail the desired bend at the point acted on. It is then moved along a suitable distance, and the operation repeated.-

The degree of bend or curve'thus imparted to the rail may be increased by adj usting the barl, by means of the nut in, to a greateflength, and repeating the operation as oitenhas may-be required.

It is obvious that tlieclrve produced may be in-4 creased or diminished by varying the stroke of' the lever.

Theimportant-advantages derived from this device are obvious. Heretofore, the processzof bending railroad-rails has been principally by theuseof sledges,

an operation 'both laborious and slow.

My improved device is'of very simple construction, and, besides possessing great power, which is required for the purpose, it operates rapidly, and producesa .more even and uniform curve than when sledges are employed. What I claim as my invention, is-

' 1. The employment of the eccentric roller-B and v vpress-bar and devices for operating the same, substantially as described. f

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name,

in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

" GEO. D. EMERSON.

YVitne'sses:

J. A. DAVIS, KATE N; JONES. 

